According to the agent on-loan Pescara goalkeeper Mattia Perin, the Gunners are one of the select few clubs looking to acquire the highly rated 20-year-old.
Arsenal are in desperate need for a goalkeeper this summer with Lukas Fabianski set to depart on a free transfer while Vito Mannone has grown frustrated with his lack of playing time with Wojciech Szczesny wearing the number one shirt at the club.
Perin is currently on a season long loan with Pescara from parent club Genoa and has become a mainstay in the newly promoted Serie A side, with his impressive performances turning the heads of many of Europe’s elite clubs including the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.
Perin’s agent has however iterated the youngster will spend next season with Genoa after the Serie A side committed the Italian international to a new long term deal.
Roggi told tuttomercatoweb.com:
There are many clubs interested in him: Arsenal, Barcelona, AC Milan. It has also been said about Juventus, Napoli and Roma.
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Currently, however, there is only one certainty about Mattia’s future: he will return to Genoa at the end of his loan and there is a mutual intention for him to spend at least one season in a Genoa shirt.
Just a month ago we extended his contract until 2017 and Mattia’s cost is at least €20 million.
I am 99 per cent sure he will be Genoa’s goalkeeper next season.
Perin is highly thought of in his native Italy and has even gained a cap for the senior national team in a friendly against England last year.
The Genoa academy graduate would certainly bolster Wenger’s goalkeeping options and provide plenty of competition for Szczesny to keep the Pole on his toes.
€20 million is a reasonable fee for such an outstanding talent however is this the type of player that the Gunners need? Wenger only has young ‘keepers at his disposal when Fabianski inevitably leaves this summer so a more established, experienced acquisition would go some way to reinforce the goalkeeping department.
There are plenty of options in the Premier League with Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet and Stoke’s Asmir Begovic viable options who would certainly be interested in Champions League football (should Arsenal finish in the top four). Certainly Perin would be a useful acquisition, so perhaps purchasing him this summer and loaning him back to Genoa would be perfect for all parties.
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